Three delicious hot cross bun recipes to recreate ahead of Easter

What is an Easter weekend without a mouthwatering fresh batch of traditional hot cross buns?

Recreate these delicious and fairly easy hot cross bun recipes which can be enjoyed during breakfast or as a snack.

Traditional hot cross buns

Ingredients

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm whole milk
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons water

For the icing

• 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 4 to 6 teaspoons whole milk

Method

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, sugar, salt, spices, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 30 balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 190°C.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water; brush over tops. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool slightly.
5. For icing, in a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe a cross on top of each bun. Serve warm.

This recipe was found on tasteofhome.com

Chocolate hot cross buns

Ingredients

• 57g unsalted butter 
• 300ml milk
• 520g plain flour
• 35g unsweetened cocoa
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup chocolate chips

To top

• 1 egg yolk, beaten with a dash of water
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 2 ½ tablespoons water

ALSO READ: 6 Healthy Easter treat recipes that taste better than chocolate bunnies

Method

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and half the milk together. Add the remaining cold milk to cool it down a bit and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment, add the flour, cocoa, yeast, sugar, cinnamon and all spice and give it a mix together.
3. Pour in the warm milk mixture (make sure it’s just warm and not hot) and vanilla. Give a slight mix until starting to clump together then add the egg.
4. Beat on low for around 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Use a dough scraper to pull the dough together and lift it out of the bowl. Spray with olive oil spray, then place it back in the bowl. Spray the top of the dough lightly with oil too. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
6. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Gently knead in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Don’t knead for too long.
7. Shape into a ball of dough. Cut the ball in 6 even pieces, then cut each of those pieces in half.
8. Line the base of a casserole dish or large baking tin (at least 9×13 inch) with baking paper.
9. Shape each piece of dough into a small ball and sit them side by side in the prepared tray (they should be just touching). Allow to rise for another hour or until doubled in size again, loosely covered with a tea towel or plastic wrap.
10. Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / 180C fan forced
11. Brush the egg yolk mixed with a dash of water over the tops of the buns.
12. Mix together the cocoa, flour and 2 ½ tablespoons water and transfer to a piping bag. Pipe crosses over the top of the buns (you can do this by piping 1 long line across the middle of each row of buns, then repeat until they all have a cross).
13. Bake for 20-25 minutes until shiny and crisp on top.
14. Serve warm, with butter.

This recipe was found on sugarsaltmagic.com

Hot cross cinnamon buns

Ingredients

• 250ml whole milk
• 1 lemon, zested
• 150g butter, cubed
• 640g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 2 medium eggs, beaten separately
• a little vegetable or sunflower oil, for proving
• 50g light brown soft sugar
• 100g mixed dried fruit
• 100g cream cheese
• 75g icing sugar

Method

1. Warm the milk and lemon zest in a small saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat and add 25g butter, swirling until it has melted and the milk has cooled slightly.
2. Mix 500g flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the caster sugar, yeast and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour in the milk mixture and one of the beaten eggs, then combine with a wooden spoon until the mixture clumps together. Tip out onto your work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 mins – the dough should bounce back when pressed with your finger. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
3. While the dough rises, make your cinnamon butter. Mash the remaining butter and cinnamon with the light brown sugar.
4. Dust your largest baking tray with flour. Tip the dough onto the work surface and knead again to knock out any air bubbles. Roll the dough to a rectangle roughly 30 x 40cm. Spread the cinnamon butter over the dough, covering the whole surface. Scatter over the dried fruit. From one of the longer edges, roll up the dough into a tight sausage shape. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. Arrange them on the tray, leaving a small gap between each one and making sure the open end of the scroll is facing inwards to prevent them springing open as they cook. Cover loosely and leave somewhere warm to prove for 1 hr or until almost doubled in size – the buns should be just touching.
5. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the buns with a little beaten egg. Mix the remaining 140g flour with enough water to make a thick, smooth paste, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle (or use a sandwich bag with a corner snipped off ). Use the paste to pipe crosses over the buns, then bake for 25 mins until deep golden brown and cooked through.
6. Leave to cool for 10 mins on the tray. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese and icing sugar, then brush the mixture over the warm buns. If you have any excess, you can serve this on the side for spreading over. Eat the buns warm from the oven or leave to cool. Will keep for up to two days in an airtight container.

This recipe was found on bbcgoodfood.com